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Georgia Democratic Incumbent Senator Raphael Warnock and Republican Challenger Herschel Walker Campaign in Runoff Election; Hawaiian Volcano Mauna Loa Erupts; U.S. Reports Indicate Low Unemployment Rate, Wage Increases, and Continuing High Inflation; Gas Prices Falling across U.S.; Jury Deliberating in Trail of Harvey Weinstein for Sexual Assault. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired December 03, 2022 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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[10:00:44]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. It is Saturday, December 3rd. I'm Amara Walker.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Amara. I'm Boris Sanchez. It is the weekend, and you are live in the CNN Newsroom. We are grateful to have you. We start this morning in Georgia where we're just three days away from the final election of the midterms with the Senate runoff between incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker. Georgians turned out in historic numbers with more than 1.8 million ballots cast after only five mandatory days of early voting.

WALKER: And ahead of decision day, both candidates are on the campaign trail this weekend making a final pitch to sway voters. Here is Senator Warnock this morning in Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): My opponent said if you are able-bodied and you have a job, you have health care. Now, I'm not mad that he doesn't know what he is talking about. I'm mad he doesn't know what he is talking about and he thinks he ought to be a United States senator. Georgia deserves a senator who actually knows what he is talking about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Herschel Walker, the Republican challenger, not holding campaign events today.

Let's go now to CNN's Eva McKend live in Atlanta this morning. Hi there, Eva. What is the latest?

EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Hi, good morning to you both. Senator Warnock just left the stage. He just got finished rallying union workers. And he told them though the campaign is on the verge of victory, not to underestimate the competition.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

MCKEND: On the final day of early voting, long lines did not deter Georgians from heading to the polls.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This runoff is so important.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is a sense of accomplishment to come in and get it done early.

MCKEND: Just four days until Tuesday's runoff, and neither candidate is letting up.

HERSCHEL WALKER, (R-GA) U.S. SENATE CANDIDATE: I said, enough is enough. Now what we got to do is we've got get out and vote.

SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): We can't rest on our laurels. It's way too early to do a happy dance.

MCKEND: New CNN polling shows Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock holds a slim lead over Republican challenger Herschel Walker. Among likely runoff voters, 52 percent say they plan to support Warnock, 48 percent say they plan to vote for Walker. Both candidates enjoy overwhelming support from their respective parties. Independents, however, break in favor of Warnock, 61 percent to 36 percent, but make up a relatively small slice of likely voters.

Turnout has been strong during the early voting period, but the overall turnout still lags behind the Georgia Senate runoffs in January, 2021, with this year's runoff having fewer days of early voting under the state's new voting law.

WARNOCK: Hello, Kennesaw State.

MCKEND: Both candidates making their closing arguments to voters with Walker continuing to tie Warnock to President Joe Biden.

WALKER: He went to Georgia and said he was going to represent Georgia. But who is he representing? Joe Biden.

MCKEND: And Warnock urging voters to keep pushing, not taking the early vote totals for granted and maintaining the race is about competence and character.

WARNOCK: Georgia, I need you to do it one more time!

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO TAPE)

MCKEND: So there were union workers at this rally not just from Georgia, but other states as well. They came to volunteer and to door knock, to get out and get on those doors. That is what is critically important here. This is a turnout game between the two candidates. Walker has no formal campaign events, but we have learned that he will be at a tailgate party later this afternoon. Back to you.

WALKER: All right, Eva McKend, thank you.

And this week's explosive volcanic eruption in Hawaii is causing concern and a lot of awe as visitors flock to the Big Island for a glimpse of the breathtaking scene.

SANCHEZ: It is beautiful, isn't it? It's so devastating and deadly, but captivating to look at. The lava flow has slowed significantly, but it is now inching closer to the island's main highway, and officials are also having to monitor the air quality because of possible toxic gases being released.

CNN's David Culver has the latest from the scene.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

[10:05:01]

DAVID CULVER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The nighttime glow of Mauna Loa's oozing lava, well, you just have to pull over and properly admire it.

It's basically the middle of the night, and you guys are out here. Why?

PIILANI ZYCH, OAHU, HAWAII RESIDENT: Well, this is a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity to be able to experience this, and we decided to come early in the morning so we didn't have to sit in the traffic.

CULVER: Having hopped from Oahu to here, the Big Island, this family, three generations, came to respectfully honor the Hawaiian eruptions.

ZYCH: It's beautiful to us, and so we pay huge reverence to this. It's very culturally significant for us as well. So it's a big deal.

CULVER: A sight made even more alluring with a side of sunrise, which brought the crowds to Old Saddle Road, officials turning this stretch into a one-way street, allowing passersby the chance to stop and let the views seep in.

And that keeps drivers from pulling over and stopping on this, what is one of the main highways connecting one part of the island to the others. USGS and state officials warn the lava flow, while slowed in recent days, is inching closer to cutting off this highway. It's within three miles now.

The other worry, not here on the ground, but up in the air. What looked like plumes of smoke, experts say those are acid gases. Officials monitoring the levels, warning it could become toxic for residents and visitors of the Big Island.

Mauna Loa is the second of the Big Island's five volcanos currently erupting. Kilauea still rumbling after destroying more than 600 homes here in 2018.

ERECH ZYCH, OAHU, HAWAII RESIDENT: This is very significant. My wife, we made these on Oahu, we brought them over here, and we gave it as an offering, you come with respect.

CULVER: But many Hawaiians see the potential path of destruction as simultaneous creation surfacing from this, the world's largest active volcano.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

CULVER (on camera): Boris and Amara, officials say with the eruption continuing at its current pace, they believe that they could give folks up to two days notice should the lava make its way into that major highway, ultimately cutting it off. But they also warn when it comes to the flow of lava, there is no forecasting. Boris, Amara?

WALKER: Just spectacular, and also potentially dangerous. Great reporting there from David Culver.

Let's talk more about this. And here with me is Wendy Stovall, a volcanologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, Volcano Hazards Program. Wendy, welcome to the program. So the lava flow is now less than three miles from that main highway on the Big Island that we saw David Culver driving on. Is there any talk of trying to divert or somehow stop the lava from getting on to the highway?

WENDY STOVALL, VOLCANOLOGIST, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, VOLCANO HAZARDS PROGRAM: There is not. And that is a fraught conversation. There's often questions about this when lava flows do start going into areas that have -- that would impact either infrastructure or homes. But there are cultural significances, as you covered in the story before. And also it's just not certain that the lava would stop. If there is lava coming out of the volcano, feeding the flows, lava can pave over anything in its path. So diversion is not even a guarantee.

WALKER: So what are your biggest concerns about this?

STOVALL: Right now, it is this beautiful, awe-inspiring event. And it's nice that we're in this phase of the event. I hope that -- some of me hopes that it just stops without impacting the infrastructure and it just becomes something that people remember as something that was lovely that they were able to witness. But if the lava flows do continue, then it is highly likely that they will intersect that road and cross it. At that point there will be significant traffic issues to deal with on the island, and we at the USGS are trying to provide some lava flow forecasting for the direction and how long it will take for it to get to the highway, to our emergency professionals so they can make plans accordingly.

WALKER: Is there any forecasting when it might stop, especially if you can see how slowly, if it's actually slowing down, the lava flow?

STOVALL: You know, we don't -- volcanos are relatively easy to think about in terms of days of eruption, but when they are going to stop is just up to the volcano, really. It's up to how much magma is eruptible, so how much magma that's in the system that needs to come out due to the overpressure that's within the volcano. And we have no idea how long that will last. The thing that we do is look at historic recurrence intervals of eruptions, and Mauna Loa typically erupts on a week's timeframe. However, it has been known to produce eruptions from this area that it's currently erupting in that last for a year.

[10:10:02]

WALKER: Wow. Wow. OK. Yes, because I know the Kilauea volcano that's still erupting, right, that has been going on over a year, is that correct?

STOVALL: That is right, yes. The 2018 eruption was really devastating. But then that eruption lasted four months, and then the erupted activity moved back up to the summit of Kilauea, so that was like many miles away from the summit of the volcano where it was erupting in 2018 and destroying homes. But it moved back up to the summit and it's been confined to its summit caldera. Again, a beautiful sight to behold and not destroying anything.

WALKER: Yes, for sure. Lastly, for the people who are there as tourists or who live on the Big Island, or I guess nearby, what is the health concern? Because David Culver was reporting about acid gases in the air.

STOVALL: Yes. So sulfur dioxide is a primary gas that comes off of volcanos as they erupt. And when that sulfur dioxide gas interacts with the atmosphere it produces a range of different types of aerosols or just like small particles in the air. And those aerosols change as the gas moves further and further away from the volcano. Really close by, it is -- it can produce acid rain if there is rain out of the clouds. It's not going to be highly corrosive to anything unless it's really close to the source of the eruption.

But people on the islands of Hawaii have been dealing with vog, or volcanic smog, which is a product of the aerosols off of the sulfur dioxide. So people with respiratory conditions will certainly feel bothered. People will get headaches, feel tired, lethargic. So the health professionals that are on the islands are aware of this, and they are looking out for people.

WALKER: Let's hope that the volcano doesn't erupt for a year. Hopefully, much less than that.

STOVALL: Yes, hopefully.

(LAUGHTER)

WALKER: Fingers crossed. That's all we can do, right? Wendy Stovall, appreciate your expertise. Thank you so much.

STOVALL: You're welcome. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Still ahead, the White House is touting yet another red hot jobs report. But the strong numbers come with a price. What it says about the economy and the fight to bring down inflation.

Plus, President Biden signing a bill to avert a rail shutdown. One of the main sticking points, though, is left out of that piece of legislation. Why Biden says it was still critical to get this done.

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[10:16:37]

WALKER: Turning to the economy now, the White House touting the latest numbers as evidence that things are headed in the right direction. Employers adding 263,000 jobs last month. Unemployment remaining steady at 3.7 percent, and wages are also up.

SANCHEZ: The Biden administration says this all points to an economy that is strong and resilient. Here is how Labor Secretary Marty Walsh described the November jobs numbers.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN WALSH, LABOR SECRETARY: We are seeing areas that quite haven't fully come back pre-pandemic seeing the biggest gains in this report. And we are also seeing opportunities for nearly lows in unemployment numbers across the board.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Inflation, though, remains a major concern and there is the looming threat of a recession. There is more pressure now on the Federal Reserve to cool the economy, but not too much. CNN's Matt Egan explains.

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Boris and Amara, the hope was for a goldilocks jobs number -- not too hot, that would fuel inflation, and not too cold, that would hint at a recession. We did not get goldilocks. We got hot. Jobs growth has slowed, but the slowdown has been glacial. You almost need a magnifying glass to see it.

Some sectors did lose jobs. Retail, transportation, and temporary help, they were all down in November. But otherwise, there was a lot of demand for workers. Leisure and hospitality continues to recover from COVID, adding almost 90,000 jobs one month alone. Health care, government, and construction, all of them added jobs. The part of the jobs report catching the attention of economists and investors is wages. Coming in the thinking was that wages would cool off, which would be encouraging because that would take some pressure off inflation. That did not happen. Wages heated up, growing by 5.1 percent year over year. For context, that is roughly twice as hot as the pre-COVID pace. That suggests very strong demand for workers.

At the same time, the supply of labor is shrinking as the worker shortage continues. The labor force participation rate dipped for the third month in a row. This will not please the Federal Reserve which is trying to get inflation under control by easing this imbalance between supply and demand in the jobs market.

Now, this is good news for workers in the sense that their paychecks are getting hammered by inflation, so they want pay, of course, to go up. But despite the hot wage number today, wages are still not keeping up with inflation.

I think when we take a step back, this is a good news/bad news situation. The good news is that there is nothing about the November jobs report that screams imminent recession. This jobs market is still chugging along, and that is a relief. No one wants to see the job market go ice cold.

The bad news, though, is that this jobs report is probably going to embolden the Federal Reserve to keep raising interest rates to cool this economy off, not just that the upcoming meeting this month, but also raising rates continuing into next year. And the more the Fed does, the greater the risk that they will do too much, tipping this economy into a recession.

Boris and Amara?

SANCHEZ: Matt Egan, thank you so much for that.

Some good economic news, too. It is costing you less to fill up your gas tank now. Gas prices lower than they were before Russia invaded Ukraine.

[10:20:05]

WALKER: AAA says the price for a gallon of regular is $3.43 a gallon, that's down from $3.57 a week ago and $3.78 a month ago. CNN's Pete Muntean looks at what's behind the drop in prices and how long that relief is expected to last.

PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boris, Amara, oil producing nations are holding a key meeting on Sunday, but the latest signs show that OPEC will not boost oil production, which could mean that oil continues to go up and this drop in gas prices could be short lived.

Think back to where we were back on February 24th. The average price for a gallon of regular was $3.54. That's the day that Russia invaded Ukraine and gas prices really started to shoot up. Industry analysts think that prices are going to stabilize, at least in the short term. They have dropped more than 13 cents for an average gallon of regular in the last week.

Not all good news though. There are still some pretty big uncertainties, like Chinese COVID lockdowns, fears about a recession. The thinking, though, right now from Patrick DeHaan of GasBuddy is that we could see gas continue to go down, maybe sub-three dollars a gallon by Christmastime. Think about where we were back on June 15th, $5.01 for an average gallon of regular. That's the highest we have seen ever, the all-time record. We were down more than $1.50 since, down more than 30 percent since that all-time record. Boris Amara?

SANCHEZ: Pete Muntean, thanks for that report.

President Biden has signed a new bill into law that narrowly averts a potentially devastating rail shutdown. The measure comes after he urged Congress to take action in a long simmering dispute between unions and the rail industry.

WALKER: But that intervention potentially puts the president in a difficult position with labor groups that have been one of his key constituencies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know this was a tough vote for members of both parties. It was tough for me. But it was the right thing to do at the moment, to save jobs, to protect millions of working families from harm and disruption, and to keep supply chains stable around the holidays.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: CNN White House reporter Jasmine Wright joining us now with more. Hi there, Jasmine. Anything else that we're hearing on this from the president?

JASMINE WRIGHT, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Amara, we saw a bit of imagery happening with the president yesterday as he stopped by a local electrical workers union in Boston, and there he told them that he would not be standing there as president without their support. And that's as he faces tough questions from other union members about him calling on Congress to impose a deal that not everybody wanted.

We know that President Biden calls himself the most pro-union president that this country has ever seen, and that's important because at this time we are seeing some ways that the labor union is now against the president, or at least criticizing his action because of something that he said he needed to do to save the economy. Now, of course, that dispute comes down to the lack of paid sick leave. That's what the union members did not want. But the president touted the other benefits of the deal, including a raise in pay, a flexibility when it comes to scheduling. As we can see, wage increased by 24 percent over five years, caps on health care premiums, one additional paid day off. But again, it lacked paid sick leave, something that caused four out of the 12 unions to reject this deal. But the president moved on.

Now, yesterday when signing that bill, he doubled down on the fact that he wants to get paid sick leave for all Americans, not just railway workers, but for them all. This has been something that the president has tried to do repeatedly over his two years in office and it hasn't happened now and it's unlikely to happen as the House flips to Republicans. But of course, the most important thing here, bottom line for this White House, is the economy. And the president feels that he saved the economy, averted a recession by stopping that potential strike from happening by signing this bill on Friday. Boris, Amara?

WALKER: Jasmine, great to see you. Thank you for your reporting.

The fate of Harvey Weinstein once again in the hands of a jury, this time for his trial in California. The case against him and the testimony that could be key.

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[10:28:45]

SANCHEZ: Let's take a look at some of the top stories we're following this morning. A tragic and horrific end to the search for a seven- year-old girl in Texas. Athena Strand's body was discovered last night two days after she was kidnapped from the driveway of her home near Fort Worth. Police have now charged a 31-year-old FedEx driver, Tanner Lynn Horner, with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping. They say he was making a delivery to the Strand home at the time when Athena disappeared.

WALKER: Her body was found about six miles away, and authorities say they got a tip that led them to Horner. The sheriff thanked the community for all of their hem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF LANE AKIN, WISE COUNTY, TEXAS: This community does not like losing our children. And we could see it because of all the people who came out and helped us throughout this ordeal. It was most meaningful what the citizens did, because we have a closeknit group of folks here in Wise County.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: The sheriff said the suspect did not know the family or the victim, and there is no word yet on a motive. He is being held on a $1.5 million bond.

[10:30:02]

Houston police have charged two men in the November shooting death of Georgia rapper Takeoff, 33-year-old Patrick Xavier Clark faces one count of murder while another man, Cameron Joshua, is charged with felony possession of a weapon. Police say an argument over a high- stakes dice game at a private party led to the shooting and that Takeoff was an innocent bystander, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF TROY FINNER, HOUSTON POLICE: We lost a good man. And I didn't have the pleasure of meeting him, but everybody, the hundreds of people that I talked to, spoke on what a great individual he was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: Thousands of people turned out for the performer's funeral last month in Atlanta.

SANCHEZ: Info Wars host Alex Jones says he is broke. The rightwing conspiracy theorist filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a Texas court. Jones says his assets are worth between $1 million and $10 million, but claims his liabilities are between $1 billion and $10 billion.

WALKER: Earlier this year a Texas order ordered Jones to pay $50 million for claiming the Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax. He also owes more than $1 billion in a separate Connecticut case.

To the trial of Harvey Weinstein and the former media titan now accused of using his power in Hollywood to prey on women. Jury deliberations resume Monday. Weinstein is charged with two counts of forcible rape and five counts of sexual assault involving four women.

SANCHEZ: The defense called the women fame and fortune seekers. The prosecution told jurors, quote, "It is time for the defendant's reign of terror it to end." We get more now on this trial from Camila Bernal.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Amara, Boris, we now wait for the jury, four women, eight men who could decide what happens next to Harvey Weinstein, the man who once dominated Hollywood. Now, the case here in Los Angeles is important for a number of reasons. Yes, he is serving that 23-year sentence for his conviction in New York, but he is also appealing.

The other thing about the case here in L.A. is that it is much bigger. You have more accusers, more charges. He is facing seven different counts in the case here, two rape related, the other five sexual assault related. Now, if convicted, he could face 60 to life in prison plus five years. Harvey Weinstein is 70 years old, so this could mean the rest of his life behind bars.

Now, he has maintained his innocence, has pleaded not guilty, and his defense attorneys saying that all of these relationships, that these accusations were either fabricated or were consensual. On the other hand, you have the prosecution saying there is a pattern of rape here. They're also saying that Harvey Weinstein used his power in Hollywood to sexually assault women.

Now, the jury has heard from about 50 different witnesses. This trial started in late October, so it has been a long one. And they heard from the four accusers. That includes the first lady of California, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, also a filmmaker who says that Harvey Weinstein raped her. His defense attorneys, though, saying this was consensual. So again, this back and forth. And we will now have to wait for the jury to see who they believe. Amara, Boris?

WALKER: All right, thank you very much, Camila.

The skies over Ukraine have been eerily quiet as crews are rushing to repair critical infrastructure damaged by Russia. We are going to go live to Kyiv with the latest.

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SANCHEZ: The Ukrainian resilience is in full force as the country hunkers down for a tough winter. Officials are vowing to avoid a national blackout despite Russia's repeated attacks on Ukraine's energy sites.

WALKER: Meantime, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog is finally hoping to reach an agreement with Russia and Ukraine on preventing a catastrophe at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. SANCHEZ: And also making headlines this morning, the European Union is

dealing a major blow to how Vladimir Putin pays for his war with a proposed price cap on Russian oil. The Kremlin says Europe is putting its own energy security at risk and vowing to cut off countries that limit prices.

WALKER: CNN's Will Ripley in Kyiv. And Will, it sounds like the skies are quieter, at least for now, but, obviously, I am sure there is a lot of fear this could be the calm before the storm.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, absolutely right, Amara. And hello to you and Boris. We did have the air raid sirens go off in Kyiv for about 20 minutes this afternoon. That is pretty much a daily occurrence. And we did see some evidence that the air defense systems were fired in the Donetsk region. One of our producers, Jo Shelley, sent us a photo of the white plumes of smoke indicating they had basically intercepted some incoming Russian missiles. But it was a very brief moment where basically you get the alert on your phone and then you go on having your lunch because that is just a part of daily life here in Ukraine, the air raid sirens, the threat of incoming missiles.

But what we're being told, CNN's Matthew Chance spoke exclusively with the foreign minister here in Ukraine yesterday, and he said that they are bracing themselves for what they expect to be a massive Russian attack on the nationwide power grid. Essentially, Russia looking to use a tactic that the United States has used and many countries have used during wartime, trying to knock out as much of the power grid as possible. One, because it, obviously, lowers the morale of the civilian population, but also because the military relies on this electricity as well.

[10:39:57]

So what they have been doing since the major attack last week when more than 70 Russian rockets and missiles were fired and Ukraine was able to shoot down just over 50 of them, but still around 20 did hit their targets, they are basically trying to rebuild the power grid as quickly as possible. But what they are expecting is that the Russians will then attack once they believe that enough of the power grid has been restored, that they will cause catastrophic damage, or at least attempt to cause catastrophic damage. That's why have Russia calling on the United States to deploy Patriot missile defense systems as soon as possible. They are talking weeks, not months. And they are asking for other missile defense systems manufactured in Germany and other places as well, Amara and Boris.

WALKER: And what else can you tell us about Russia's response to accusations that it sent packages containing explosives and animal parts to Ukrainian embassies, Will?

RIPLEY: Yes. Severed eyes of animals like cows have been popping up at a number of different Ukrainian embassies across the region, in Europe and elsewhere. And the Ukrainians did point the finger at either Russia or groups that support Russia because they would be the ones that would benefit by these apparent acts of intimidation against Ukrainian diplomats.

The Russian foreign ministry did respond to Matthew Chance with a one- word answer when asked for a comment on Russian involvement in this, and the word that they used was "psycho," presumably talking about the Ukrainian foreign minister, although "psycho" is an apt word to describe this kind of intimidation and bizarre tactics that are being used against these Ukrainian diplomats. Obviously, it's a bizarre story. But in the scheme of things when you are talking about the risk of a potential major Russian attack in the coming days, kind of a side note to the larger narrative here.

WALKER: Yes. Quite disturbing, though. Will Ripley, live for us there in Kyiv.

China is signaling that it could ease its strict zero-COVID policy after a wave of protests in more than a dozen cities and Hong Kong.

SANCHEZ: Yes, look, top officials have not laid out a plan as frustration is spreading. CNN's Selina Wang has more from Beijing.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

SELINA WANG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: China's authorities are cracking down hard and fast on protesters. But it appears their voices have been heard and have even been reaching the very top. An E.U. official told CNN that China's leader Xi Jinping told the European Council president that protesters were mainly students frustrated after years of COVID. And Xi apparently said Omicron is less deadly, which makes the government feel more open to further relaxing COVID measures.

We don't know the exact language Xi used, but this is a big deal on several fronts. For one, authorities have been censoring all evidence of the protests at home. And here is the supreme leader apparently acknowledging that they happened. And after years of demonizing COVID, this is a big and clear shift, but it doesn't mean that zero COVID is going away. There has been no roadmap announced or talks of transitioning away from zero COVID.

And video show hazmat clad police forcibly pulling and dragging a man from his home. Apparently, the man had been identified as a close contact and is trying to avoid getting sent to a mass quarantine facility. Many of them are in terrible, rundown, and unsanitary conditions. There are many cases over the past few years that we have seen of people being forcibly dragged to quarantine, countless videos of authorities and COVID enforcers using excess force or violence.

But what makes this case really unique is this time authorities actually apologized and put out a statement saying that they are reprimanding those responsible. And we are seeing, as well, some small but significant changes being made to COVID rules. Some places are lifting lockdowns and relaxing COVID testing rules. But that being said, our lives here are still very restricted. I still need a recent COVID test to enter most public areas. We are still tracked everywhere we go and forced to scan our health codes. and there is the threat of lockdowns and quarantine that always hangs over you. And the reality is health experts say China cannot just easily walk

away from zero COVID, because instead of focusing on boosting vaccinations and the county's health infrastructure, China for the last few years has been pouring all of its resources into enforcing zero COVID.

Selina Wang, CNN, Beijing.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

SANCHEZ: Thank you, Selina.

It is do or die for the United States. These fans are live watching, trying to support the team. You'll hear from them next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:48:53]

WALKER: Boris, I'm sure you had no idea, but today is the biggest match for the U.S. men's soccer team in years, and they are taking on the Netherlands for a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals.

SANCHEZ: Let's take you live to Andy Scholes, a man of the people live at a watch party in Atlanta. Andy, when we checked in with a live look earlier, some fans looked frustrated.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, I tell you what, guys, a gut punch to all these Team USA fans here just moments ago. Right before halftime the Netherlands scored again and have taken a 2-0 lead in this game. Really quieted down the USA fans. There are some Netherlands fans right behind me that are having a grand old time right now here at the Fado Irish Pub in Atlanta, because they have a 2-0 lead. So it's going to be a very tall task now for Team USA to come back in this game. It's not over yet. Full half to play. But the atmosphere certainly has changed.

The Netherlands fans, though, they are ready to party, as you can see. This place holds about 600 people. Where I am, there was a line around the building. At 7:30 a.m. fans wanting to get here to be a part of this atmosphere.

[10:50:03]

As you guys mentioned, the biggest game for Team USA in eight years. They haven't made it to the quarterfinals since 2002. The chances of that happening now looking a little slim. So, guys, it's an interesting atmosphere here, like I said. The USA fans are all out now just looking at their phones and trying to make plans, I guess, for the rest of their afternoon maybe while these Netherlands fans, they are certainly partying. They are ready to go on to the quarterfinals. But it's not over yet. We will see what Team USA has in store for in the second half.

SANCHEZ: It is not over yet, Andy Scholes, even though to win Team USA would have to score more goals in the second half than they have all tournament long. It is still not over. Andy Scholes live from a bar in Atlanta.

WALKER: He was with the orange guys, huh? All right, Andy.

SANCHEZ: Let's dig deeper with CNN sports analyst and "USA Today" columnist Christine Brennan. Christine, not the start the United States wanted, struggling early on, down two-nil at the half. What do they need to turn it around?

CHRISTINE BRENNAN, CNN SPORTS ANALYST: Boris, they may need a miracle right now. Andy's report was perfect. Yes, the orange people are now happy. It's been surgical by the Dutch. This is the eighth best team in the world, and they are looking like it. And the Americans, who captured our hearts, these young American men, they are the ones that gave up their prize money to make it equal for the U.S. women's national team, which of course is so successful, these guys have been fantastic.

But they are young. And they are kind of excitable, as is the nation around them. And so right now they are kind of looking like it. They are being schooled a bit. The Dutch scored early. The Dutch scored late in the first half, two-nothing. Anything's possible, but the U.S. is going to need a couple of really lucky breaks, and they haven't had them yet. Christian Pulisic is playing. That's good news. Of course, he is the one that was injured after that dramatic goal against Iran, Boris. But I don't want to say it's over, because it's never over, and soccer can be very quirky, but the United States needs a lot of help right now.

SANCHEZ: Yes, 45 minutes and change still to play. You could already sort of frame it as a growing pain, right, for Team USA. You noted that the youngest team at the World Cup. What do you think this team and their success so far means for soccer long term in the United States?

BRENNAN: The men's national team has never been as good on the results table, so to speak, in the standings, and with the trophies as the women's team. And everyone is waiting to bust loose and cheer for the men just like we cheer, the United States fans cheer for the women.

So this new generation of young guys, as I said, very appealing. I call them Title Nine males, Boris, in the sense that they have been raised to appreciate their sisters' games and their friends' games in high school and college and cheering for women themselves. And I think that's very much in keeping with 21st century America.

And so there is a lot to like about this team. It also looks like the country. It is by far the most diverse men's soccer team the U.S. has ever had, and it's far more diverse, frankly, than the U.S. women's team in terms of the racial makeup. And so again, soccer is that sport that most kids play, it's their first sport. You take the little four and five-year-olds that go, kick the ball around, and they look like ants as they move around. And then baseball certainly or t-ball, softball, other sports kind of happen at the same time. But soccer has got that foothold.

The question is, will people love and keep playing soccer into their adulthood? It's not college football. It's not pro football in terms of our passion. But in terms of cheering for the nation, frankly, if it's soccer or tiddlywinks, Americans will wave the red, white, and blue when their team is playing.

SANCHEZ: No question about that. A quick question, because you mentioned the women's team, Christine. The women's team has earned more money from the men's team reaching the knockout stage of the World Cup than from winning the entire tournaments in 2015 and 2019. You noted the women have had far more success than the men. Why does this happen?

BRENNAN: Because of misogyny and sexism around the world in the, quote-unquote, beautiful game, especially in corners of Europe and South America, Boris, where women were just never encouraged to play the game. Even in England, which invented soccer, for decades they told their young girls and women you cannot play this game. What in the world were they thinking?

And, obviously, England has now come on with a vengeance in the women's game, as well, of course, as being very good in the men's. For decades, I could almost say for centuries, nations were telling girls don't play soccer, don't play football.

[10:55:03]

And what a devastating mistake that was, not only just for the kids playing sports, but learning life lessons. We've had Title Nine, of course, for 50 years, and we can see the results. And it's not only about making great athletes, but it's about creating great people who are leaders and learn how to win at a young age, and more important, learn how to lose at a young age. And that's what the United States has done. It's what Scandinavia has done, Asia, and obviously, other parts of the country finally -- the world, finally decided they need to get in the game with women's sports.

SANCHEZ: Yes. So unless a miracle happens, it looks like the next time the U.S. will compete for a World Cup championship will be next year in 2023 with the women. Look forward to watching that. Christine Brennan, thanks so much for the time.

BRENNAN: Thank you, Boris.

SANCHEZ: Of course.

WALKER: I'm so glad you asked that question about women, Boris.

That is our time. Thanks for watching, everyone.

SANCHEZ: We are getting yelled at by the producers, aren't we?

WALKER: We've got to go.

SANCHEZ: There's much more ahead in the next hour of the CNN Newsroom, though you don't have to go anywhere. Fredricka Whitfield is up next.

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